Walking toy



' June 2, 1931.- J. H. VAN DEVENTE R 1,308,695

' WALKING TOY Filed Nov. 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 tNVENTOR WITNESSESfa/m 1750217606122?! /w ze Bl Mfg.

- M v ATTORNEY June 2, 1931; J. H. VAN DEVENTER 1,808,695

WALKING TOY Filed Nov. 2. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES u vgimnflevezzfez ATTORNEY 1 No. 320,151, but embodies certain features ofoutwardly and downwardly weights? at the free ends of the Patented June2, 1931 i i JOHN H. VAN DEVENTER, or n'oNxERs, NEworoRK 1 ALKING TOYApplication filed November 2, 1929."Ser 1 a1 mama;-

This invention relates to walking toys, an objectof the invention beingto provide a toy of this character-which is designed pri'-. marily' forwalking on a level base when drawn or moved although" the toy is capableinclined plane. I V y The invention has relation to the" same class oftoys as disclosed in my copending application filed November 17,1928,Serial ofgravitv locomotion-when moving down an novelty in the art, allof which will more fully hereinafter appear. i

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out inthe claims. V p In'the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a view infront elevation of one form of my improved toy, showing one foot in aforward positionwith relation to the other foot;

"Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the toy, as illustratedinFigure 1, showing by full lines and dotted'lines the differentpositionsof the body in its swinging or oscilingmovementsy Flgure 3 1s aview in frontelevation showing thetoy supported on the 'foot which isinthe forward position in Figure 1, or, in other words,. illustrating acomplete step of the toy fromtheposition shown in Figure 1 totheposition shown in Figure 2 1 a i Figure 4 is a sectional-plan view ontheline4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 isa perspective view Figure 6 is a fragmentaryview in sectionon the line 6-6of Figure 5,

I shall first describe the construction of the toy and later itsoperation.

Referring 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, 1 represents a body having arms2,2 fixedto the body and at opposite sides thereof'and extending andhaving I 7 arms. These welghts 3 may constitute hands, as illus- Aillustrating.

a modified form of my invention;

more particularly to Figures atedon a horizontal plane;

shown in Figure 5 ofthe drawingaandithey may not be visible as weights,but 'in any event it is to be understood that thearms are sufficientlyweighted 'tojcausethem to properly function 'as will hereinafter appear.1

: tfand 5 represent the right and left "legs of the figure, and saidlegs 4 and 5 arepivotally. connected to the body 1 and arms 2 bya'common axis; stitutes a pin 6, which extends through lugs Thisaxispreferably contrated in the modified f0 m ofthe invention I 7 onthe'arms and through the lower portion of the body-1 and alsothroughopenings .8

in the upper ends of the'legs 4' and 5, and suitable spacing sleeves 9may be provided on the pin to properly'space the several parts connectedthereby.

The lower ends ofthe legs 4 and 5 have feet 10 secured thereto.v Thesefeet 10 have N fiat or smooth lower faces and at their inner edges havea curved or otherwise contourededge, so that the feet are'widest theirin- 1 portions and I tapering toward termediate both ends.

. However, the rear portions of thefeet and legs'atthe rear of the aXis6 are heavier than the other portions of the feet and legs, and a simplemeans of rendering said portions heavier isto secure weights 11 on therear portions ofthefeet and legs, as clearly indicated in Figures'2 and4 of the drawings, or in any other manner having the leg 3X15 formed ofthe heavier portion of the leg and foot.

A cord or other flexible device 12-may be connected .to the body lat itsforward portion so that by-mean'softhis cord the-toy may be-movedforwardly to cause it to walk;

,, As above stated, when walking on a level 'base it is-desirable, if.not absolutely neces- -sary,to so design the foot that the major 1portion of the weight lies back'of'the hori- ;zontal projection V of theleg axis. This causes'thefoot to swingfforward when hanging free on theleg axisg but the toy-is oper Additional weight can be supplied in anyapproved manner but heel weightsor weights at the rear of the feetappear to be a prefarable arrangement. r

; 9 verymu'c'h' after the manner of a person in walking. that the bodywill have a slight In the modification illustrated in Figures 5' and 6of the drawings, I utilize the same -reference characters to indicatelike parts wherever. possible, so that I employ-the ref erence' numeral1 to indicate the body gener-' ally, the, reference numerals 2, 2' toindicate the] arms of, the figures, and the reference numerals 3, 3 toindicate thehands which constitute weights at the ends of the'arms. Thelegs of the figure are indicated by the reference numeralse and 5-,?thefeet bylthe numeral 10 andthe Weights on the rear of the feet by 11. c

In this modificat on, the body has an open framework 13, which isconn'ectedt'o' the legs 4.- and 5 by the pin 6,:constituting the commonaxisof the body and legs.

Y It is, of ,co urse,;to be understood that the toy may be dressed orornamented in any way desired, and while I have shown the device asadoll or the like it is obvious that the invention maya'pply to otherforms of-walke ing 1 figure, although in this particular case myinvention is morespecifically directedto a figure which simulatestheaction of a person in walking as distinguished from a rolling orother peculiar movement of'fowl or animal- 7 In operation the weight ofthe-body and arms shifts from one side of the vertical to Y the'other inaccordance with the foot which is supporting the figure. With the figureas shown in Figure 1 of thedrawingssupported on the right foot ,4, aforward pull on the cord 12 will cause the bodyto swing forwardly and atthe same time to swing laterally so as to restupon the'left foot 10,andwhen thus supported the right foot will' be elevated so that byreason of its weighted rear end said unsupported foot will swingforwardly, as-

indicated in Figure 20f the drawings, and

the-body will then be supported on this foot as a continued pull'on thefigure is had, as clearlyindioated in Figure 3 of the drawingsThG'IiglItfOOt'Will then be elevated to,

' yswing forwardlyand the reverse action will take place sothat thefigure will funet'ion V lateral 'sw'ingand a slight-forwardswing, as

indicated by the full lines nd dotted lines inFi ur 2 ofthe drawings,ca-using'the cen-V t'er' of gravity of the body toshift and be supportedon the respective feet, as is the case ofthe human'in afwalkingoperation; F 'The figure therefore has a very, distinct movement at eachstep. First, the free foot will; swing forw rdly as the'body' is drawnforwardly, shifting its centerof' gravity, and

as the bodyis supported on the forwardly movable foot,- the flatinclined plane of the foot will cause the bodyto shift laterally,

V A cord or other flexible device 16 may be connected to one .of thespacing sleeves v9 on the pin 6.

this being augmented or accomplished by the fact that the arms are fixedto the body and are weighted so that when the center of gravity isshifted these weighted arms'will cause the body to shift from oneposition to another.

.s The contour .of the'feet is, important in impelling'the latter toswing freely in .accordance with the lateral shift of the center ofgravity of the figure; the heel weights assure a forward swinginmovement of the feet when free, and the forward lateral move- --ment ofthe body is insured bythe pull on the body and the weighted arms asabove ex- 1 plained.

, Variouschangesand alterations might be 7. W

madeoin the general form f the parts described without departing fromjmyinvention andv hence I do not limit myself to the precisedetails setforth but consider myself at liberty to-make such changes and.alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims. I claim planesurfaces inclined transversely and heavportions, abody pivotally connected to the A walkingtoy, comprising apair'ofindependently swinging legs, feetatthe1 wer ends of thelegs having bottomsconsistingof ier at their rear portions than at'their front 7 axis ofthe legs, and weighted arms rigidly connected to the body. V

2. A walking toy, comprising a'p'a'ir .oflindependently swinginglegs,feet at the lower ends of the legs havingfbottomsconsisting of plane;surfaces, inclined transversely and heavier at their rear portions thanat their ends of thelegs having" bottoms consisting'of plane surfacesinclined transversely and heavier at-their rear portions than attheirfront portions, abodypivotally connected to. the, axis of the legs andarms rigidlyconc nected to the'b'od'y, and a flexible connecting deviceconnected to the toy djacentits; axis and adapted to be drawn forwardlytocause the any to walk on a horizontal plane.

to-y ofthe character described, comprising a'body portion, a pair of'laterallyand downwardly projecting weighted arms fixed, to the bodyportion, a depending iugon each arm, arod projected through said; lugsand otally supported on therold, feet at the lower ends of the legshaving bottoms consisting of plane surfaces inclined'transversely,widest at their intermediate portions and at'their inner edges taperingfrom their widest portions toward both ends, and weights; was;

7 through the body portion, a 'pair of legs piw rear ends of the feetrendering said feet heavier at their rear ends than at their forwardends.

5. A toy of the character described comprising a body portion, a pair oflaterally and

